Ontario Parks reports that much of the spray-painted graffiti on Maple Mountain has been concealed with
granite-simulating paint. Given the extent of damage, the cleanup crew ran
out. The remainder should be covered shortly. The photo, at the base of the
fire tower, was taken last week by park warden John Burns before the rock
was treated.

AUGUST 19, 2006

First Nation upset by defiling of mountain

The Temagami First Nation is upset over the
graffiti on Maple Mountain, a place that is more than a hill to its members, a place
that is holy.

"Maple Mountain is one of our most sacred sites.

All our spirits go there after death," says
Chief Alex Paul.

"P

eople
here are talking that it shouldn't be messed with."

In 1972, the proposed development of the
mountain, one of Ontario's highest elevations, into a tourist destination
was the catalyst that kicked off the Temagami First Nation's land-claim
battle.

It is ironic that while the vandals were spray
painting personal messages to a deceased loved one they were defiling the
final resting place of the loved ones of an entire nation.

Paul sees this as part of an ongoing pattern of
ignorance and disrespect. "We see people take, or damage, artifacts they
find on the land, but they belong to the Teme-Augama Anishnabai."

Ontario Parks is investigating the recent
defacement of Maple Mountain with spray paint and has "good leads."

Good Samaritan canoeists, who may have seen the
perpetrators, alerted Parks and provided information that may lead to
charges being laid.

Under the Provincial Parks Act, fines for
defacing a "natural object" amount to $100, but more severe restitution for
damages can be sought in court.

Superintendent John Salo says Parks would seek
the latter if charges are laid.

In addition to damages described in yesterday's
Ottertooth story, a campsite on Hobart Lake, near the base of the mountain,
was also spray painted by the same group, probably on August 2 or 3.

The park is considering immediately covering it
all up with a granite-simulating paint that is used in other parks. "We
don't want to power wash as it will destroy the natural weathering of the
rocks and we want to cover it quickly," says Salo.

spray-painted names on a large flat rock, sometime near the end of July
or the beginning of August.

"It appears that a family group left it as a
memorial to their mother or grandmother," said Mike Stout, a Keewaydin
Camp
trip leader, who saw this the first week of August.

An altar, plastic flowers, a garden sculpture of
butterflies and a small wooden cross were left amongst the names.

An area covering roughly 120 square metres was
signed with names of relatives near the base of the fire tower. As only first names were
used there is no obvious clue to who did it.

A large rock in the middle of the trail, about
halfway up, had "MOM" sprayed on it.

Maple Mountain is a sacred site to the Temagami
First Nation and the summit is one of Temagami's most popular backcountry
destinations. Lying within Lady Evelyn-Smoothwater Wilderness Park, it is
one of Ontario's highest elevations.